The mazurek, or mazurka, is a lively Polish folk dance written in a triple meter, with accent in the second or third beat. Traditionally, the mazurka features a group of two eight notes preceded by a quaver triplet, a dotted quaver, or just two ordinary eight notes. As a dance, it became popular across Europe during the 1800's, and its popularity carried over to the academic spheres, with notable composers such as Chopin writing pieces in that form. Of all the composers, Chopin in particular developed the mazurka the most, introducing counterpoint techniques, harmonic development, and technically challenging passages.